The Kirkus Prize is one of the richest literary awards in the world, with a prize of $50,000 bestowed annually to authors of fiction, nonfiction and young readers’ literature. It was created to celebrate the 81 years of discerning, thoughtful criticism Kirkus Reviews has contributed to both the publishing industry and readers at large. Books that earned the Kirkus Star with publication dates between November 1, 2014, and October 31, 2015 (see FAQ for exceptions), are automatically nominated for the 2015 Kirkus Prize, and the winners will be selected on October 15, 2015, by an esteemed panel composed of nationally respected writers and highly regarded booksellers, librarians and Kirkus critics.

KIRKUS REVIEW

The kind of old-fashioned sentiment with which few honest readers quarrel. We all need it as an antidote, now and again. The story of a courageous old Irish woman who faces "the luck of the road" rather than the County Farm, and who finds it in bringing courage and hope to others. There is something constructive and timely, too, in the contribution she makes to the town which gives her shelter -- the establishment of a spirit of hope and faith in the turning to good account the work of their own hands, developing small talents when the canning factory that is their life is closed down. This story may catch on as did her long ago SEVEN MILES TO ARDEN. Every bookshop has a list of customers, hard to please in the welter of modern fiction, for whom this is ideal.

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